Chesterfield complete stunning comeback against Eastleigh - how it happened

It was looking like a miserable afternoon when goals from former Spireites Kairo Mitchell and Charlie Carter put the visitors in a strong position at half-time.

But two goals from Ryan Colclough and a 94th minute strike from substitute Andy Dallas sealed a remarkable turnaround.

Victory sends Town, at least for a couple of hours, up a place to third, with Woking in action against Notts County in the later kick-off.

There was just one change to the Chesterfield line-up from the win against Dagenham and Redbridge with Jeff King replacing the injured Ryheem Sheckleford. Paul McCallum, who had a successful two years at Eastleigh between 2017 and 2019, returned to the bench after he could not play against his parent club on Easter Monday.

Mike Jones stung the palms of opposition goalkeeper Joe McDonnell early on but the Blues were behind on 10 minutes when Mitchell fired in after the hosts failed to clear a corner. Mitchell, who had a short spell at Chesterfield in 2021, cupped his ear to the Kop as he ran off to celebrate.

Eastleigh almost doubled their lead soon after when Alfie Lloyd got slipped in behind Jeff King but Ross Fitzsimons came to his rescue, smothering the ball out for a corner. Lloyd hurt himself in that action and he could not continue and was replaced by Vincent Harper.

Fitzsimons and Mitchell both went into the book just before the 20 minute mark as the pair clashed near the touchline. Mitchell shoved the keeper in the back, and the home faithful called for a red card, but referee Ben Atkinson showed a yellow card to each of them.

Colclough, who was the Spireites’ most dangerous player in the first-half, forced McDonnell to parry, after forcing his way into the box.

A free-flowing counter created a big chance for Darren Oldaker but his shot from about eight yards was blocked.

Oldaker then went close again with a curling free-kick from about 25 yards which just went wide.

And the away side made the hosts pay when Fitzsimons could not hold a half-volley from Mitchell and Carter slotted in.

An excellent one and two-touch move from Chesterfield just before half-time ended with Colclough blazing over from a tight angle as Cook’s men were booed off at the break.

They had lost the physical battle and had been wasteful in the final third and needed response in the second-half.

But apart from a dangerous first-time cross from King, which was well cut-out, and a header from Quigley, which he should have done better with, the Spireites did not look like getting back into the game.

After the hour-mark Chesterfield increased the tempo, but there was still a reluctance to shoot, and McCallum and Dallas were brought on to replace Jones and Quigley.

During a break in play, a frustrated Cook made his way up into the West Stand to ask a fan, who he was seemingly annoyed at, to ‘zip it.’

With 18 minutes remaining the Spireites halved the deficit when Colclough headed in Mandeville’s cross at the near post.

That goal increased the noise and it was one-way traffic for the remainder of the game as the subs made a difference.

Chesterfield almost found an equaliser but nobody was there to tap home Dallas’ cross/shot.

Down the other end Easleigh could have killed the game off when Harper burst through one-on-one but his chipped effort was easily saved by Fitzsimons.

That miss came back to haunt them as on 89 minutes Colclough got across the near post again to turn in a low cross from King.

And it got worse for Eastleigh in the last minute of five added-on as Dallas found the bottom corner from the edge of the area, his first goal for the club, to complete a brilliant comeback and spark wild scenes in the stands.

Cook’s men were booed off at the break, but they got a standing ovation at the end, and a good few hundred fans on the Kop stayed behind to sing their hearts out.

What a big moment that could be in Chesterfield’s season. Football, bloody hell.